|2nd Round Approved DPs|

Equal Access DP

Lead Partner	Partners
North Lanarkshire Council	Capital City Partnership City of Edinburgh Council Glasgow Caledonian University Renfrewshire Council Stirling Council The Wise Group Rosemount Lifelong Learning West Lothian Council

Objectives
The main aim of the DP is to investigate the relationship between health and employment and to test the development of integrated health and employment service models to move those furthest from the labour market towards work. 

The DP has set a number of strategic objectives to help achieve its overall aim.  These include:

• The establishment of models of inter-agency working between employment and health services
• Identifying good practice in local multi-agency partnership working and encouraging the transfer of skills between agencies
• Establishing an agreed framework for the skills and aptitudes of a case / key worker
• Establishing best practice guidelines in the empowerment of users in design and delivery of employability  interventions
• The development and implementation of shared case management systems
• The development and implementation of an effective Development Partnership

Geographical Focus
The DP will have a primarily urban focus with most activity taking place within the urban central belt. 

Target Groups
Disadvantaged groups disangaged from the labour maraket; people facing social exclusion and people facing multiple barriers to access the labour market

Pilot Projects and Mainstreaming Outcomes

Capital City Partnership - Pathways from Addictions to Work Project
The project involves constructing pathways for recovering addicts in Edinburgh to employability and on to employment, integrating the contributions of all relevant providers into these pathways, creating a co-ordinated multi-agency approach.

The project successfully established working relationships with a wide range of agencies and extended the number of addiction agencies which actively refers into employability. It successfully engaged with a large number of this difficult client group and learnt in depth about the challenges faced and the pitfalls which will always lead to a significant proportion going to no immediately positive destination. It established a shared database and used this for case management and generation of management information.

Over two years the project worked with 269 beneficiaries; a number of others who did not register as beneficiaries were given guidance as to other support available. The total number of beneficiaries who entered work was 62, of which 41 were full time, 21 part time. 40 entered further education and 17 went on to other training.

Other key outcomes from the project include improved mapping and understanding of provision in the sector; improved referral practices from addictions agencies better referral routes and increased co-operation between organisations.

City of Edinburgh Council – Get On Project
The project aims at enabling access to high quality skills training in a variety of sectors including: Childcare, Healthcare, Construction, Public Sector, Administration, Hospitality and Tourism, Care and Support work, Creative Industries and Retail and at providing different forms of support for people wishing to enter the labour market, depending on their needs.

Over 40% of people on the programme moved into employment and many others moved into other employment focussed activity from having little or no opportunity to access services linking people to the labour market.  Organisations are working better together and health services are becoming more interested in employment access as a means of providing services for their clients. The referral mechanisms developed by the project proved effective both in supporting the target group and in building the capacity of non-employability agencies to work with the group. A new ‘Get On’ programme commenced in September 07, funded by Scottish Enterprise and Edinburgh city Council.

Rosemount Lifelong Learning
Poor health and addiction are major barriers to participation in the labour market, not only for the individual concerned, but for other family members, especially women who tend to have the main caring responsibilities. Child behavior and welfare issues are another major barrier. Rosemount Lifelong Learning piloted a project aiming at providing childcare, education, support and guidance for parents seeking to return to work as well as at improving target groups’ health and help them move out of poverty.

The pilot established a Men’s Group, who tend to face a number of barriers including poor health and low self esteem.  With the support of a Male development Worker, group members have been actively involved in planning activities, raising funds and holding discussions on topics of their choice including addiction, suicide and domestic violence.The group has already made a significant difference for many of its members, who are participating in education and sports and actively seeking work.

Stirling Council - Well Connected Project
Well Connected is an employment support project, which has been developed by Stirling Council in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and the local NHS, as a link in supporting the integration of health and employment services for a significant number of people who are on health related benefits and wish to return to work. The ultimate aim was to develop engagement methods to be incorporated into mainstream provision and to influence policies between health and employment organisations. Well Connected has been included in the new Employability service developed by the Council which incorporates integration of services and a case management approach.

The Wise Group – Compass Project
Compass is a voluntary service which is aimed at supporting patients of GPs based in the South West of Glasgow move back into work. The Compass team consists of GPs, Occupational therapists, employment advisors and support workers. 

The project had an impact in three main areas: better and more effective services for clients, partnership working and Ideas for future mainstreaming.  Service users were enabled to find a way to contribute to the community and society which had evaded them for many years.  They also benefited from cohesive services, raising of confidence, reduction in medication, new trust in services. Partnership working was developed of between frontline NHS staff and employment staff. Mainstreaming ideas: steering group benefited from re-thinking the use of resources to provide innovative services

Glasgow Caledonian University - Service User Involvement Project
Helping people towards work too often means not listening to what they say are their own aims and how services could incorporate their views more effectively. This project was designed to review existing practice in relation to service user involvement, and assist services supporting people with health barriers to move closer to the labour market to adopt innovative and good practice. It was focused on helping services develop new ways of empowering clients and responding to their views.

The project has raised awareness of the importance of service user knowledge in the delivery of services and service development more generally. All organisations involved and front line staff report heightened awareness and commitment to SUI as a result of the work. A variety of initiatives have been developed as a result of the project – often user led. These include: the use of community researchers in developing knowledge of service users needs and wants; the development of a service user led newsletter; the involvement of service users in management meetings and interviews of new users and staff. Policy makers have shown a growing interest in the work and Scotland’s Workforce Plus team have been active supporters of the work.

Renfrewshire Council - Full Employment Areas
The Renfrewshire Council piloted the Community Renewal project that sought to reach people disengaged from mainstream services by a series of home visits. The project supported people to identify where they would like to make a change in their own lives and in their community. Community Renewal uses a unique process of community based engagement (listening surveys) and personal support. Two operational methods, were developed during the life of the project:

• a case management approach (especially for health related issues).

• working in partnership with other agencies.

Community Renewal has developed a holistic assessment technique that goes deeper into barriers that are holding a person back and works towards a plan to overcome them. The engagement model developed through Community Renewal has been included in Jobcentre Plus mainstream contracts.

North Lanarkshire Council - Health and Employability Project
Craigneuk is an ex-mining and metalworking community between Motherwell and Wishaw. It is adjacent to the site of the Ravenscraig Steel Works which employed over 5000 at its height.When they closed in 1992 the economy of Craigneuk and the wider area was devastated, and has not yet recovered.
The Health and Employability project has engaged with 1700 people in Craigneuk in the past two years, and supported 150 people into work and 82 into training. Sixty seven percent of those supported into work were not on Job Seekers Allowance and 53% were more than 6 months unemployed. At a job sustainability rate of 75%, we estimate an increase in post tax income into the area of £950,000 per annum and an increase in the employment rate of around 5%.

The contact details of the Lead Partner are listed below:

Lead Partner:              North Lanarkshire Council
Person to Contact:       Lynne Ward
Telephone:                  01236 616485
Email:                         WardL@northlan.gov.uk
Web site:                    http://www.equal-access-scotland.org.uk